Vanlife in Newcastle, Aus | Dudley Beach | Lake Macquarie

[@karenh5239]

Your videos are food for the soul. You have beautiful filming, great accompanying music and are just so natural in front of the camera. No artifice and humble. Keep making people happy. Thankyou.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thankyou Karen, very kind of you to say so! 😊

[@geoffreycampbell8161]

My home town, I’m in Newlambton. Spent years on the beaches, Dudley was a favorite. Go for walks at horseshoe beach, which was the dog beach you were at that overlooks the lighthouse . I’ve never taken Newcastle for granted, one of the most beautiful cities in Australia. With the vineyards on your doorstep, and Sydney a couple of hours away it’s heaven. Hope you loved it as much as I do All the best take care, enjoy ❤️😀Lake Macquarie is the largest inland saltwater lake in Australia. I’ve been blessed to have spent 45 years in and around this area. Love fernleigh track also, it’s a beautiful walk, run, ride.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Totally agree, Geoffrey. I was actually planning to move here before I took the redundancy at work. There's so much to do and see!

[@Happytraveller69]

Great video again. It makes me want to hit the road again. Keep it up.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks 😊👍

[@MiniLuv-1984]

I was thinking how you promote the locations you stay in so well that its a service the municipalities could pay for by providing you with free "stay anywhere you want" pass by issuing a directive to its parking inspectors; "leave the big blue van alone".

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

😂😂 I love that idea! 👍

[@robyn-r3g]

Beautiful photography, thanks, Jason. 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks Robyn ☺️

[@wendyhoward472]

Love the beach shots and the highlight of the video the whales ❤

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks Wendy. Always nice watching the whales 😁

[@davidarcher1096]

Great video once again Lots of very familiar spots. The scout camp is usually not a problem as long as you don't go into the buildings or cause problems.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks David. I think if they put up keep out signs, then I'd prefer not to upset anyone 😁

[@Craigmartin-fs7fm]

Hi Jason The wife and I love watching your videos keep up the good work

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks Craig 😊 Really appreciate the support!👍

[@margaretsmith4441]

I live one suburb away from Islington Park taken the grand kids there countless times The walk way /cycling path along Throsby Creek it goes all the way into the foreshore, great walk for the exercise.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Hi Margaret. I followed the path all the way back into the CBD. Nice path and very popular.

[@gold4leaf]

Glad you are enjoying almost my backyard, we live near Gosford but like to spent time around the Hunter Valley and Newcastle, some lovely areas to just sit and relax and enjoy the views, cant wait to see what you get up to this week, cheers, Garry

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Spoilt for choice of beautiful places in this area!😂

[@johnwatson7970]

Nice to meet you Jason today down at Warners Bay, keep up the good work. 🤙🏼

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks John! Appreciate you stopping to say hello. 😊

[@SeanC1959]

Great video Jason. You're really a skilled mountain bike rider. Some of those corners you negotiated at high speed were impressive. Great footage and that last scene, the red sunset (or sunrise) by the water was spectacular. I'm sure looking forward to your next video. Cheers, Sean.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thank you very much once again, Sean! Really appreciate your generosity! It was an amazing sunrise. I won't complain too much about the maintenance crew waking me up when I get to see that!😁

[@SeanC1959]

@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces You're always welcome Jason. I really look forward to your watching your videos first thing in the morning, with a coffee in hand. They really leave me inspired and elevate my day!

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

@SeanC1959 comments like this make the effort worthwhile 😊👍

[@warrickfraser7100]

Another great video mark aka Mr blue there is also mountain biking trails at teralba and homesville at you park the oval just on the edge of homesville,teralba you can access in the billy lookout estate 👍

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

After today's rain, I might need to leave it a few days, but definitely want to have a ride at both of them. 😁👍

[@warrickfraser7100]

@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces teralba holds up well in the weather but homesville doesn’t.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

@warrickfraser7100 good to know! Thanks.

[@fatmanoverlanding]

Another good episode. Good exploratory rides. 👍 It's always surprising how different a place is on a bike vs in a car.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

It's pretty cool that there's so many pathways around town. Nice to be able to cover that sort of distance off roads.

[@Denis_v1.0_beta]

A lot of contrasts in this one Jason! Coast, bush, city, sun, rain, warm, cold... I lived in Newcastle for a short period in my early teens, and I had a few memories triggered from your footage, particularly the coastal stuff, where I spent a lot of time during that time. Looking forward to your next one! Safe travels mate.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

That's a pretty good summary as to why Newcastle is such a nice spot. It's got everything. And it's compact enough that it doesn't take the whole day to get across town. Nice place.

[@helenbalmer3552]

Yet anothef great video. Beautiful beaches, sunrise/sunset, just stunning. Bike riding quite hair raising at times😊. Looking forward to further adventures. Cheers Helen

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks Helen 😊 It's always beautiful around Newcastle and the lakes.

[@Julia-lo5uq]

Looking forward to the next exciting adventure! Thanks for another great video highligting the beautiful ocean beaches around Newie 👍

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks Julia. I'll hopefully get some new views of the beaches soon 😉

[@pjpw2320]

Ahh, an area I'm very familiar with even though I'm now back living 30 mins inland where I grew up! I spent many years living in and around Newcastle from 1972 to 1990. Such a fantastic part of the world and so much to see. As always, a very enjoyable coverage of your travels. I'm looking forward to what you have coming up given that it will be Newcastle centric. Cheers Peter

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks Peter. It's a great area around Newcastle. The course I've booked isn't specific to Newcastle, but it is just convenient that I was here and there was a course starting next week 😁

[@Kokodagal2]

Loved the sunrise pics. Thanks for getting up so early to be able to show us such beauty 😊 PS, am in absolute suspense for your next vid. Going through all the possibilities of what “surprise” it may contain ?!?! 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

You can thank the council toilet cleaning crew for getting me up for the sunrise 😂 My course has been pushed out by a few days now due to the weather forecast....some clues there but a few more days of suspense 😉😁

[@jeanie7369]

Wow , that sunset was incredible 😮

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

It was actually sunrise. I get out of bed early only occasionally 😂😜 Either way...it was pretty special!

[@tulipchic34]

Your in my neck of the woods. While your in Newcastle head up to Sugarloaf Mountain. The big mountain you can see west . Great views

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Nice! Thanks for the tip. I'll see if I can get up there in the next few days 😊

[@sallyb1433]

Another good one. That spot at Carrington is another one I like. I’ve parked under the bridge to cook dinner & hide from a big storm before too. I didn’t know there were mountain bike trails at Glenrock. So cool! I love Croudace Bay park for walking the dog. I’ve seen campers there before but haven’t stayed there myself. Looking forward to seeing what the big thing is that you have planned! I’ll keep an eye out for you now I’m back home if you’re still around my area.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

I rode the mountain bike trails in Teralba today. Someone left a comment and told me about them. I've been around this side of the lake for the last several days, watching the boats racing as well 😁 I thought of staying at Croudace Bay Park, but I think the road noise will be pretty bad...

[@sallyb1433]

@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces oh you’re not far away. I didn’t know there were still mountain bike trails in Teralba. There used to be some good walking tracks through the bush before they built the new housing estate.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

@sallyb1433 yeah, even a sign post at the entry to the trails so at least some of them are official 😂

[@sallyb1433]

@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces oh that’s cool, I had no idea we had some local ones. I haven’t been bike riding for a very long time lol

[@thedefohuman]

Hey mate, great video. I recommend, while you are in this region ride down the Dudley beach "bus stop" track on your bike. Pretty gnarly in some spots but good fun.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

I was wondering about that.😁 It was a bit inconvenient to get to given where I ended up, otherwise I would have had a look!

[@princessleah9092]

If you are here for this weekend you should have come to Pride and the jet boats out on the lake. Great Saturday

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Been watching the boats today. Pretty loud! 😂

[@bentriefus5961]

Great video Jason - I just got back from a short trip up to the Chaffey Dam - nice campsite there with hot showers and clean facilities - Nundle a surprisingly nice country town. Rained cats and dogs of course but great to get out of town.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Nice! Added that campsite to my list now, thanks. And yep, always good to be out and about 😁👍

[@Kingpin6254]

Nice vid. If you're looking for other places around Newy to explore, I suggest Caves Beach (including walking tracks e.g. Spoon rock and Shark Hole). Also walking around Munibung Hill or the Redhead to Dudley trail (be sure to check out the redhead lookout from the cliff) 🙂

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks mate! I did a video on the Shark Hole about 6 or so mths ago. That's a cool spot! I haven't been to Redhead yet so definitely need to do some more exploring around there. Funny you should mention Munibung Hill. If it's dry enough, I'll check that out tomorrow.

[@tomcat7525]

More great video 👍 I am easily confused and with it now being daylight saving, knowing if it is am or pm would help me a lot. 🤪 👍

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

😂 yeah, I had a few gaps in my footage on that one so it was a little hard to tell what time it was....

[@malmtb]

Would have liked to have seen more of Glenrock Trails but your priority is not mine 🤣. Im getting used to putting on one of your vids 🥲 and sharing a half hour escape from the real world with you. Ive done my share of road trips and being reminded of the peace and freedom is always welcomed. Keep em coming Jason 🤟

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks mate! I actually didn't cover a lot of the trails in Glenrock. Starting from Dudley Beach was a terrible idea😂 Wasted so much effort of walking tracks and fire trails...

[@malmtb]

@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces Yup I was thinking while watching you should have just driven to the Mtb park. There's a time to explore and a time to ride 🤟

[@jarnosaarinen4583]

I've just installed a BC to DC without just depending on the Solar!charger in My Bus since seeing you using that Microwave like that. We will be able to Free Camp longer now!

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Excellent! Having DC DC has been essential through winter. And so many campsites are shaded, too. Do you already have a microwave that can run off batteries? Getting it working for me wasn't straight forward.

[@eveypea]

From memory, Jewellstown Plaza should be easy for you park and pop into a supermarket near Dudley. There is also a proper butcher and green grocer and what not in there. When it comes to parking near Nobbys, parking near the pavillion and down along the water near the baths is not premitted between 11pm and 5am. However I do see a lot of people parking near the dog beach behind the breakwall

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

I didn't know there was a Coles in Jewells, thanks for the tip. I wouldn't want to stay in Newcastle city centre overnight...too noisy. I was thinking of it more as a good spot to park for day exploring, but it probably fills up pretty early 😁

[@w1nd0cpro]

Another great video thanks joseph still waiting to see you around as I’m only in teralba

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Looks like I'm hanging around for a bit longer now. Keep an eye out 😁

[@JimmyCall]

That's the major problem in Australia is small parking spots and shopping centre low parking roofs. Some places even put overhead max-headroom limitor hangers, on areas that are clearly perfect van parking.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Yeah, that drives me crazy! Kotara shopping centre has rooftop parking but a 2.1m height bar at the entrance..... 🙄

[@JimmyCall]

@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces It's amazing there isn't planning issues as ambulances can't get in.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

@JimmyCall yeah, very true.

[@rhondahill2530]

There are some bike riding trails at Awaba & Cooranbong you may like, don't know if you have ever been there. I live near sunshine on the peninsula near Morisset. The park at Sunshine is very pretty there with good views of the lake it is only a short walk but you could get some good shots there for your video perhaps I may even see your vehicle in one of the parks on the peninsula. There is a Coles here & I think there is parking out the back for your size vehicle. Thanks for another great video, Joseph.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks Rhonda. I need to work my way around that side of the lake. There's a whole lot of little peninsulas that looks worth exploring.

[@diwalsh7864]

Thank you..

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Always a pleasure 😊👍

[@newoization]

Hi Jason. I love your vlogs mate and im always green with envy when the next one drops. I love mtb myself in fact i actually went over to the dark side and bought an Emtb recently. I was just wondering about yours. Is that a stumpjumper? Those Specialized make nice bikes dont they? Mate i know its personal preference but have you tried riser bars on that? As i always found the flat bars to be very uncomfortable especially on longer rides.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Thanks mate!😊 Yeah,I'm not a fan of being too hunched over. Still got flat bars but a few extra stem spacers plus I have longer forks now that lifted the front another 20mm. I'm pretty comfortable on it now , but understand what you're saying. 👍

[@newoization]

@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces oh right i noticed you were running lyrics on it. Fair enough that makes sense.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Yeah, went from 150mm fox to 170mm lyric, which also has far less sag, so probably close to 30mm higher. The lyriks are sooo good😁

[@newoization]

@@MakingStuffGoingPlaces . Thats interesting youve done that upgrade. Did you also lift the rear shock to keep it geometry even? Ive had many bikes and ive only ever used rockshox forks and shimano and ive never had a problem.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

@newoization no, didn't change the rear at all, so still 135mm travel 😂 Everything I read online was saying only do a 10mm increase or it will be a disaster. Going +20mm was the best thing I've ever done! Instant confidence and gets it a little slacker which I really like. I'd like to upgrade to a new one, but hard to justify the cost when this one still does the job more than adequately.

[@mjprince1987]

Hey mate!! Have you ever talked about ur fridge?? I’m interested in upgrading my chest fridge to an upright fridge and would love some info about how u power it and how much power it draws.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

There's a little about it in my van tour video. Look at the chapter titles to find the part on electrical. Power draw is difficult with any fridge as they cycle depending on the weather. My previous van had an AGM battery with 65Ah usable capacity and it would run a similar set up for 2 days with no solar input. Let me know if you have specific questions.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqKUiKGnd6lrlbM

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

I did this video on my last van. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIiriYZoi6h_aZo

[@coral8313]

😂gotta love bird attacks great location so many places to explore beautiful sunset

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

😂 first time I've been attacked by Butcher Birds. That was actually sunrise, but yeah....the colours!

[@jennilethbridge1349]

Jason just wondering what camera you use.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Hi Jenni. Mostly a GoPro hero 9, then anything with zoom is a Lumix VX1

[@saltydog888]

Would’ve thought your rig would have a grey water tank?

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

Got space for it, but with so few public dump points around, it would be difficult to empty it other than on greenery....so just cutting out the middle man. Sometimes inconvenient, but there's always somewhere that the water can go down and be absorbed quickly. It's less than 15 litres per shower as well....

[@DaisyLarson4936]

Enjoyed the nice old buildings around Newcastle. Did the butcher bird draw blood? So much Wildlife variety.

[@MakingStuffGoingPlaces]

😂 no blood. Hit my helmet pretty hard though. Newcastle's got a really nice mix of old and new building's. Very interesting.